Вопросы теории реставрации скульптуры в России в XVIII – первой половине XIX века.

Abstract

The paper deals with the issues of the sculpture restoration theory in Russia. It is the 18th and the first half of the 19th century period when the theorists started studying the problems connected with sculpture restoration. Several works published “for” the pupils of the Imperial Academy of Arts are devoted to their studying. The author has considered the theorists’ works as the subject of research in the context of studying formation peculiarities of the Russian restoration theory principles. Drawing on analysis of the sources, the author has concluded that the works represent a new restoration approach created as a result of the study of antique heritage and works of European authors. An independent aesthetic value of fragments is defined in the work by P. Chekalevsky Discourse on Free Arts. The first work published in Russia containing an attempt of theoretic conceptualization of the issues of sculpture restoration is The Thesis on the Influence of Anatomy on Sculpture and Painting by I. I. Vien. It gives theoretic justification of the necessity of using anatomic knowledge to solve restoration problems. The first and so far the only work in Russia dedicated to the issues of sculpture reconstruction with the use of gypsum molds is the book The Experiment of the Restoration of the Ancient Statue of Cupid. To carry out a scientifically based reconstruction of the position of human arms stretching the bow, its author A. N. Olenin gathered a significant ethnographic material and presented the proofs to justify its use. Based on the analysis of our sources, we can conclude that these theoretical issues has reflected the new concept of restoration formed as a result of the study of ancient heritage, the works of European authors, and general development of historical scientific idea of the latter half of the 18th century. It also became a foundation for further development of the restoration theory in the 19th century.